Every holiday, I insist on eating pie for dessert. The morning after every holiday, I eat leftover pie for breakfast, so that has led me to contemplating the tradition of pie. Why can’t pie just be a meal more often? I know we ate the frozen pot pies often as a kid, and I remember with misplaced nostalgia how warm and fulfilling they were. Lately, I’ve been trying so many different kinds, and to my delight, some of my favorites have been savory pot pies, especially as we go into the dark days of winter.

It took me at least six months to figure out how to make a half-decent pie crust, and even on my good days, I still don’t give myself an A on the pie crust. In fact, it’s still not good enough to share. And on days when I am strapped for time, without a doubt, I’ll be buying a rolled-up pie crust. But pie of any variety, from my view, is still something to rejoice. I do have a theory that you can turn just about anything into a pie. You can take all of these ingredients and come up with something that I always question on whether it will turn out or not, and somehow, it turns into a pie.

With a warm center and flaky crust, a good pot pie can cause the mind to slow down and savor the quiet moments of winter. It can soothe the ennui away and invite quiet celebration in an ordinary moment. Here are two of my favorite pies I made this season, both savory. I hope you enjoy them, and I certainly hope you set out to discover more ways pie can bring quiet joy to your life.

LEEK AND COD POT PIE

SERVES 4-6

Two 9-inch pie crusts

2 cups milk

¼ tsp celery seeds

½ tsp dill

¼ tsp tarragon

1 lb cod filets

Canola oil

One large leek

Two stalks of celery

1½ cups fresh or frozen peas

4 Tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg for egg wash

1. Line the pie plate with one pie crust.

2. Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit.

3. In a saucepan over medium low heat, bring the milk to a simmer and add the herbs. Poach fish gently in the milk and herbs.

4. Remove fish filets from milk and place in the pie plate, trying to keep fish mostly in large chunks. Reserve milk.

5. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté leeks and celery in canola oil. Once they sweat, add peas and remove vegetables from the heat. Once peas are warm, add vegetables on top of the fish in the pie plate.

6. In the skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add and whisk flour to brown, then add reserved milk to make a béchamel sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Whisk until thickened, and pour 1½ cups of the sauce over the fish and vegetables in the pie, saving the rest for serving later.

8. Place another pie crust on top of the pie, and crimp shut. Cut a few vents, and brush the top of the pie with egg wash.

9. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

MUSHROOM AND WHITE BEAN POT PIE

SERVES 4

One 9-inch pie crust

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 lbs mushrooms (I used oyster and cremini)

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup beef or vegetable stock

½ cup cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

1½ cup cooked white beans (I had cannellini)

1 egg for egg wash

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit.

2. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic, and, when onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked, remove them from the pan.

3. In the same skillet, heat the butter until it is mostly melted, and add the flour to make a roux. Turn down the heat to low, and whisk in the broth. When it starts to thicken, add the cream.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushroom mixture back in to coat the veggies, and add the beans.

5. Separate into even-sized ramekins (I used 4 large) and place pie crusts on top, cut to the shape of the ramekin.

6. Brush with egg wash, and bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

Originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Winter Recipes: Warm Up Your Winter With Pot Pies

LEEK AND COD POT PIE

MUSHROOM AND WHITE BEAN POT PIE